Seat-back slip cover



Dec. 20, 1927.

w. L. FRY

SEAT BACK SLIP COVER Filed Aug, 5. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 S-vwemtoi Mb//erl. 5y.

Dec. 20, 1927. 1,653,501

. W. L. FRY

SEAT BACK SLIP COVER Filed Aug. 5, 1927 2'Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 20, 1927.

UNITED STATES WALTER L. FRY, OF SCABSDALE, NEW YORK.

SEAT-BACK SLIP COVER.

Application filed August 5. 1927. Serial No. 210,804.

My invention relates to improvements in detachable covers for seats. and more especially upholstered vehicle seats. The object of my invention is to produce a strong, simple, and convenient cover and means of attachment to enable the cover-to be quickly applied-to or removed from a seat back or back rest. and in such a manner that the cover will hang smoothly and handsomely, the fastenings at the upper edge will be concealed. and the cover will always lie smoothly without reference to its shrinkage or distortion by the pressure of people against it. This is not so simple asit seems. and great difficulties have been met in producing a cover and attachments which would have the above results. The cover is likely to shrink, and where it is fastened rigidly to some part of the seat or adjacent part, the fastenings are apt to show in an unsightly way, or to come into injurious contact with the clothing or person or of some extraneous matter. Moreover, as generally applied the strain on the cover is uneven. and the cover does not lie as smoothly and handsomelv as is desirable. In carrying outmy invention I use'a bar which is preferably flat and therefore somewhat springy which lies upon the upper edge of the seat back 0 and conforms to the shape of such edge, this bar or stiffening rod being contained in a keeper at the top edge of the cover. and the cover has openings in the under side at this edge by which fastening attachments secured to the top part of the seat can engage and support the stifi'en'ing bar or element. Thus the cover is fastened at all points along the line conforming to the outline of the seat top', it has a flexible or sliding relation to the stifi'ening element, the stiffening element is engaged by the supports which lie beneath it and the top edge of the cover, and the walls of the car or similar parts hold the bar against longitudinal movement. Thus I get a simple structure. and one which is reliable and easily applied. This will be better understood from the description which follows.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view looking toward the interior of an automobile, of the sedan type. showing fragmentarily the removable seat 'back cover constructed in accordance with the invention applied.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the seat back showing the fastener for the removable cover mounted for the application of said cover.

Figure 3 is a "iew similar to Figure 2 showing the initial engagement of the seat cover with the fastener.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the removable seat cover completely applied to the seat back.

Figure 5 is a detailed plan view of the stifl'ening element removed from the cover.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary plan View of the removable seat back cover looking to-' ward the outer side thereof.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of the seat back cover showing in detail the casement and the reinforcement therein.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the seat back cover looking toward the under face or side thereof. 1

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detail. A designates generally a seat. in this instance the rear seat of an automobile. which in Figure 1 of'the drawing being illustrative of the sedan type. The seat A as usual includes the seat cushion section B and the back section C, the latter being permanently built into the automobile body and extends from side to side thereof. with the upper or top edge 10 conforming to the shape of the rear wall of the automobile body. effect-ing with the inner surface of said wall a corner 11 coextensive with the upper or top edge of the back C, as will be apparent from Figures 2 to 4 inclusive of the drawings. The present day types of automobile bodies vary in the arrangement of the rear seats and the invention herein set forth contemplates application and use with all types of seat structure present in the varying styles of automobile bodies.

The removable seat back cover constituting the present invention comprises a section 12 made from any suitable material and of a size and shape to conform to the seat back C for entirely covering that part of the seat A, and to render it of the slip type the section 12 has formed at one edge a casement 13, the edge and said casement being shaped to conform identically with the contour of the top edge of the seat-back C, an example of this contour being illustrated in Figures 7 and 9 of the drawings.

The casement 13 extendsentirely across the top edge of the cover, and receives a reinforcing or stiffening bar 14 which as illustrated is fiat and therefore somewhat springy, so that it can be more easily applied, It conforms .to the top edge portion of the seat and lies fiat and snug thereon as shown in Figure 4. It can be slipped into the easement 13, and as the stiffening bar extends entirely across the scat. it is prevented from moving lengthwise by the car walls, but of course where the walls do not come into close contact with the seat back, other means can be substituted for preventing the longitudinal displacement of the stiffening bar. It will be noted from the description below that the bar is engaged by supports on the seat edge, and thus the cover is not fastened rigidly at definite points, but is held all along the reinforcing or stiffening bar, and therefore lies smoothly, does not strain the fastenings, and moreover it is easily secured.

Adapted to be engaged in the top'edge of the seat back C are several fasteners 15,

the number thereof varying as the occasion may require or to meet the demand in the application of the cover section 12 to the seat back. Each fastener 15 preferably includes a threaded shank having a right angular head or bill end 16, the threaded shank being screwed into the top edge 10 of the seat back G at a point slightly removed from the juncture of the top edge 10 with the inner wall of the automobile body, as is clearly illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 inclusive of the drawings, with the bill or head 16 which is at right angles to the shank of the fastener 15 directed rearwardly 'or in confronting relation to the, said rear wall of the automobile body.

The cover section 12 at the casement 13 thereof has formed in the under side of said casement, at the points of location of the fasteners 15 when engaged in the top edge 10 of the seat back C, reinforced slits 17, the reinforcement of each slit 17 being effected preferably by button hole stitching so that the edges of the slits will not ravel or break throughout their extent. These slits 17 each are disposed in substantially parallel relation to the opposite side edges of the section 12 to enable the easy application of the cover section 12 to the seat back C and the fastening of said cover in place.

In the applicationof the cover section 12 it is of course understood that the fastene'rs 15.have been placed and secured in the top edge 10 of the seat back C at the proper points of location. The said section 12 is placed over the seat back C to bring the casement 13 in juxtaposition to the top edge 10 of the seat back. This positioning brings the slit 17 in substantial alignment with the heads or bill ends 16 of the fasteners '15, whereupon the' casement 13 is manually manipulated to have the heads or bill ends 16 of the fasteners pass through the slits 17 so that the stiffening bar 14 can be slipped beneath the heads or bills 16 and engaged therewith so as to lie upon the top edge 10 of the seat back C in the position shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. \Vhen the bar 14 rests upon the top edge 10 of the seat back C it will be disposed in abutting relation to the inner wall of the automobile body next to the seat back C to have the casement 13 confined within the corner 11 between the top edge 10 of the seat back C and the wall of the automobile body adjacent thereto.

In the fastening of the section 12 as here ,inbefore eXpl-ained,it will be apparent that the head or bill end 16 of each fastener 15 will be concealed in the casement 13 when said fastener is engaged with the reinforcing bar 14 with the head or bill end 16 of said fastener overhanging the bar, thus presenting to the top edge of the seat back when the cover 12 is applied a smooth appearance to the latter without the fasteners therefor exposed to View.

By the presence of the reinforcing bar 14 in themasement 13 of the cover section 12', when the latter is fastened upon the seat back 0 any strains or pulling action upon the section 12 will be distributed throughout the extent of the reinforcing bar 14 and the section 12 relieved from puckering or wrinkling along its attached edge at the top or upper edge 10 of the seat back C. Ad-

ditionally, the'cover section 12 will at all times overlie completely the back O of the seat A and be maintained smooth without liability of disarrangement resultant from occupancy ofthe seat A.

It is to be understood, of course, that the cross sectional shape of the reinforcing bar 14 may be varied and likewise the style or kind of fasteners illustrated in the drawings may be changed to meet the demand in the fitting of the removable seat coy-er to the seat back C and the fastening of said cover in place. 7

From the foregoing description it will be.

seen that I have devised a very strong and simple means of attaching a cover' to a seat back or back rest, that by means of the reinforcing element and the supports on the back rest the cover can be quickly applied or removed. that the strain is applied at all points along the seat top. and that for this reason there are no special stresses or strains at any particular points, and the cover therefore is not likely to become wrinkled or strained or distorted.

What is claimed is:

1. As an article of manufacture, a cover for automobile seat backs comprising a sheet of fabric adapted to cover the said back. and a reinforcing bar curred at its ends and associated with the said cover and shaped to conform to and lie on and extend entirely across the upper edge of the said back.

2. As an article of manufacture, a cover for the back rest of an automobile seat comprising a sheet of flexible fabric, a stiffening bar or element slidably associated with the top edge of the cover and shaped to conform I to and lie entirely on the upper edge of the said back, and means extending around said bar for slidably holding the same: in place.

3. A cover for the back rest of an automobile seat comprising a sheet of fabric a casement at its upper edge, a stiffening element extending through the case ment and shaped to conform to and lie entirely on the upper edge of the back rest of the seat, and means extending into the under side of the casement and loosely engaging around the stiffening element for fastening the latter and cover-to the said upper edge of the sea 4. A cover for the back rest of anautomobile seat comprising a sheet of fabric to cover the said back rest, a stiffening element shaped to conform to and lie entirely on the upper edge of the seat back, a slidable connection between the upper edge of the cover having I per seat back edge,

and the said stiflening element, and means extending around said element for slidably holding the stiffening element upon the upsaid means together with the stiflening element being concealed by the said upper ed e of the cover.

5. A cover for e back rest of an automobile seat comprising a sheet of flexible material, to cover the said seat back, having a. casement at its upper edge, a stiffening element held in the easement and shaped to extend entirely across and lie on and conform to the shape of the upper edge 0 seat back. whereby the automobile wall pre vents longitudinal displacement of said stiffening element, and stiffening element seatback, said means together with the stifi' ening element part of. the casement.

6. The combination with the back rest of an automobile seat, of a stiffening bar or element shaped to conform to the upper edge of the seat back and adapted to lie entirely upon and extend across said upper edge, a cover for the seat back having its upper edge lying over the stiffening element, and fastening devices secured to the top edge of the seat back extending through the 7 back part of the cover and loosely engaging around the stiffening element.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 3rd day of August, 1927.

WALTER L. FRY.

f the being concealed 'by the outer 

